Fab fashion hunting in Hong Kong

Once upon a time, traveling to Hong Kong meant visiting sights such as Victoria Peak and Ocean Park. Now, when I hear Hong Kong, I think shopping. (And great Chinese food, but that’s another story altogether.) People flock to Hong Kong during the shopping festival from July to August for great bargains, but Asia’s World City is a prime place to shop all year round. From malls to markets, from boutiques to bazaars — and let’s not forget that the H&M in Hong Kong is the closest one to Manila — fashionistas can indulge in an endless array of fashion, beauty and lifestyle items to bring home in their luggage. And with Hong Kong being such a dynamic, ever-changing city (I barely recognize it from the last time I visited!), there are new shopping hotspots sprouting everywhere. It may be overwhelming, but discovering these new places and hunting for best bargains is just part of the perfect shopping adventure.

But first things first: planning the how-to-get-theres and where-to-stays of the shopping adventure. Shopaholics like me were overjoyed to hear that Dragonair had a 20-kilogram baggage allowance. With Dragonair, I settled into comfortable chairs and stretched out my legs, read Hong Kong editors of glossy mags, and enjoyed a delicious snack.

In choosing a hotel, I find accessibility to the MTR is one of the most important things (trust me, this will be important when your feet are giving you hell as you drag your shopping bags along with you) which is why Conrad Hotel — found right above Pacific Place Mall, connected to the Admiralty MTR stop — was a lovely new discovery. It’s an efficient hotel that still gives you the luxurious, VIP treatment, and boasts having the best bed ever. Difficult as it might be to peel myself off their fantastic beds, we only had to take the elevator down to the third floor, and we were already at Pacific Place. We walked a few floors down to the MTR stop, and…hello, Hong Kong! Let the shopping adventure begin.

Shoppers’ Playground

More than a shop, Daydream Nation is also a creative hub for performances and even classes.

Tsim Sha Tsui is usually everyone’s first stop for shopping because it has everything, from luxury brands along Canton Road to outlet shops along Granville Road. For those who don’t want to keep crossing streets to switch stores, TST has a lot of new malls in the area that allow you to browse and buy in one place. We started our shopping sojourn at Nathan Road, the famed Golden Mile, and stepped off the MTR right into iSquare, the (literally) new kid on the block. A quick peek at the directory showed me some familiar brands — Mango, Marks & Spencer, HMV, and Skin Food. But we stumbled upon Log-On by City Super, a lifestyle specialty shop, and ended up staying the entire time. Each aisle revealed something amusing and interesting — Korean and Japanese cosmetics, kitschy kitchenware, cute canvas shopping bags, fun camera accessories, and unique snacks. Think Saizen on awesomeness steroids.

Armed with shopping bags full of fun-flavored chips from Log-On, we walked over to The One (also along Nathan Road), another new mall whose name comes from an adorable romantic story about a wealthy businessman declaring his love for a model on a public advertisement, signing off as “The One.” (Alas, they did not end up together.) With a whopping 29 floors of shopping, dining, entertainment, you may never step out of this mall during your whole trip. The Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar on the second floor is a veritable paradise of our favorite beauty brands, from Shu Uemura to MAC. The higher up the mall we went, we found the most adorable and trendy shops that we couldn’t help exploring. I mean, really, how can you resist names like bla bla bra, and uuu…Shooop!!!, and Panda-a-Panda? I spotted paisley print palazzo pants, sheer long cardigans, chiffon mullet skirts, and other girly, stylish pieces, but what sets this mall apart are the Japanese fashion and lifestyle brands Beams, Journal Standard, Love Boat, and United Arrows Beauty & Youth (the first store outside Japan).

We ended our afternoon at K11 along Hanoi Road, touted as “the world’s first art mall.” Not only are there exhibits and art events throughout the mall, the mall itself is covered with works of art, from giant LED screens, giant sculptures, wall décor, and event benches, mostly from local artists. My favorite was a large recreation of the Mona Lisa made out of toast. There were a lot of stores to be explored, like Y-3 and beauty brand Ainoha, but by this time we were pretty hungry already. We dropped by Paul Lafayet Patisserie Francaise, famous for its scrumptious and oh-so-pretty French macarons (and rumored to be coming to Manila soon!), but we finally settled for a delicious merienda of salted butterscotch brownies from awfully chocolate (with a menu of limited but infinitely rich and chocolate-y choices) and coffee from Illy. Nothing like that caffeinated combo to pick you up after a day of shopping.

Hipster’s Paradise

Fold up the cuffs of your skinny jeans, slap on the oversized glasses and bring out the SLR — we’re about to go into hipster land. What started out as a humble residential district in Wan Chai in the 1920s is now a hip and up-and-coming fashion and lifestyle district, filled with local designer boutiques, alternative lifestyle stores, cooler-than-cool cafés and contemporary furniture outlets. With an indie, Cubao X-meets-The Collective feel, Star Street Neighborhood is the perfect place to immerse yourself in Hong Kong’s modern creative subculture. This whole place is a hub for photographers, artists, musicians — and of course, shoppers looking for one-of-a-kind, designer buys.

We got off the Admiralty Station, walked a couple of blocks to St. Francis Street and stepped into WDSG Art & Craft Dept. Suddenly, we were transported into a world of 1920s Americana vintage — Toto, I don’t think we’re in Hong Kong anymore. The whole store was illuminated by lightbulbs inspired by Thomas Edison’s original device, giving the place a sepia-like charm, putting us in the right state of mind. Tired of the fast-food retail culture that churns out cheap and shoddily-made items, the concept store was dreamed up of six local designers who wanted to bring back the charm of old things. I found some great rugged-but-suwabe pieces for men: workman’s shirts (some from Ralph Lauren) and statement shirts, tough guy boots, denim scarves, leather cuffs, but what caught my eye were the replicas of old US furniture — the large pillows made of thick sack material, large couches, classic-looking suitcases and drawers, and vintage desks and typewriters.

After, we walked over to Kapok’s Sun Street branch, a store that I’d imagine Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist and his well-dressed, dapper fans would love to shop in (and take endless pictures of). It featured a well-edited selection of local and international menswear and lifestyle brands, from leather messenger bags, briefcases, and eyewear. All of them boast of excellent craftsmanship, creativity, and swag. I also spotted art and fashion magazines and books, designer candles, and cute little shot glasses with moustaches and hats drawn onto them. Kapok’s Sun Street branch also houses a gallery and café — their French coffee is a perfect companion to discussing the artwork and photos exhibited there.

Finally, we visited Daydream Nation, a “fashion story-telling brand” created by siblings Jing and Kay Wong, both graduates of Central Saint Martins and Royal College of Art. Queen of quirk Susie Lao from the international blog Style Bubble is a big fan of their aesthetic, as well as the international stars that the duo has dressed: Kesha and Juliette Binoche. (From glitter-obsessed party girl to elegant, timeless actress; you can only imagine their range!) The store was filled with dreamy, whimsical pieces that still had a bit of an edge — reconstructed jackets, drop crotch pants, blazers infused with tulle, fabric, and hand-made necklaces.

Bargain Hunting

Bargain hunters with an eye for style may want to venture to Hong Kong’s markets to find fashionable pieces. Some popular ones are the Ladies Market on Tung Choi Street, which sells…well, everything, and Temple Street, famous for its night market. Fa Yuen Road, perpendicular to Mongkok Road, is home to rows of stores similar to 168 Mall, as well as standalone market stalls on the road itself, and you can get for a steal. I grabbed a sheer jumpsuit, a clutch with a knuckle-ring handle (who knew you could find Alexander McQueen-inspired accessories here?), and a sleeveless blazer all for a grand total of under HK$300. There were a lot of sportif pieces as well, from oversized, jersey-inspired tops to pencil skirts made out of sweatshirt material, which shows how on-trend the clothes here are. There were also several small eateries around, selling stinky tofu (it’s supposedly really good, despite the unsavory name) and curry fishballs — the best of Hong Kong street cuisine.

Luckily, we still had our fill of great Hong Kong food at an affordable price — Michelin star included. We headed over to IFC Mall in Central (another great place to shop) and went down to the Hong Kong MTR Station under the mall to have a sumptuous meal at Tim Ho Wan, an popular dim sum restaurant created by dim sum master chef Mak Pui Gor, formerly the dim sum master at Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons Hotel. Lung King Heen is one of the four of restaurants with three Michelin stars in Hong Kong, and chef Pui Gor, wanting to bring the same quality to more people and affordable prices, went on his own and opened Tim Ho Wan in Mongkok. When it received a one-star rating in 2009, it became even more popular, drawing large crowds and long, snaking lines. We ordered the hakaw, egg white and shrimp dumplings, turnip cake, lor mai kai (similar to machang), and their famous barbecued pork buns (which is like an amazing toasted siopao — a must-try, especially since rumors say that it’s the reason for Tim Ho Wan’s Michelin star) all at unbelievably affordable prices.

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Read more from my trip in Travel magazine’s upcoming issue this October. Special thanks to Dragonair and the Hong Kong Tourism Board. For inquiries and booking, phone (+63 2) 757 0111 or visit <dragonair.com/ph>.